


Close to you - A Puppyshipping (Seto x Joey) Oneshot/Songfic

by Evi1990



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! - All Media Types, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Oneshot, Romantic Fluff, Songfic, puppyshipping - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-12 11:42:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28634928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evi1990/pseuds/Evi1990
Summary: A little over three years ago, Joey had moved to New York after graduating from high school. He had fulfilled his dream of opening his own flower shop, and he was closer to his family. He was happy - or so he thought. Until he realised that he had left something important behind and that his feelings would never be reciprocated. Or maybe they would?~~~~Hi everyone :)I was so inspired yesterday that I just had to get this story down on paper. Those who follow my other story "Rescue Me" will know that music plays a special role for me and always helps me to find inspiration. I put the song in the notes before the chapter, I recommend to just let it play while reading, but it will also be actively picked up in the story itself (as this is a songfic) :)Feel free to let me know what you think - have also considered whether a sequel might make sense, or the story again from Seto's POV, but for now, it will remain a OS. Feel free to let me know what you think :)
Relationships: Jounouchi Katsuya | Joey Wheeler/Kaiba Seto
Comments: 4
Kudos: 19





	Close to you - A Puppyshipping (Seto x Joey) Oneshot/Songfic

**Author's Note:**

> Here's the song that not only inspired me to write this story but will also play an active role in it (hence a songfic - although the pure lyrics won't take up that much space in the story though, with over 8k words :D) :
> 
> Close To You - Jordy
> 
> Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/6PLmOGIMFHjPqrjDKQoJWk?si=zJD2KVCdQvOfYcnNyOU3Hw  
> YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXls8ogofrc
> 
> I would recommend you to let the song play while you read. I'll leave out the lyrics for now, because they are already taken up in the story itself.
> 
> ~~~~

Joey wiped the sweat from his forehead, straightened up and stretched, letting all his tired joints crack. Who would have thought that cutting flowers could be so exhausting? Okay, well, he had a whole shop full of them, so it was his own fault, and some stems were real beasts too, and he wasn’t even talking about the ones with thorns yet. Roses were the worst, but they were his bestsellers, especially now, a week before Valentine’s Day.

He put aside the heavy scissors he had used to cut the flowers and went back to the front of the shop for a moment. By this time, he had chocolates on display as well as the flowers - earned him a few dollars on top, and he certainly wouldn’t say no to that. He arranged them neatly so that they were not only easy to see but looked so delicious so that you just _couldn’t_ walk past them. He had to laugh at himself - since when had he been so bent on making more money? Since he had opened his flower shop two years ago, things had been going really well for him. Yes, at least financially he couldn’t complain.

He sighed, but before he could continue this thought, he heard the doorbell ring behind him. „Morning, Joey!“ Susi, his longest and most loyal employee, called out to him cheerfully. „Hey, Susi, how’s it goin‘?“ asked Joey with a friendly smile, leaning against the sales counter with his arms on his hips.

„Oh, y‘know, the usual,“ she said as she went to the back of the shop where the staff area was and put on her green apron. Joey laughed out loud - yes, he knew exactly what she meant. Susi had two children, and anyone who didn’t know better would count her husband as one of them. How Susi managed to juggle it all was always a mystery to Joey. If she had to work the one Saturday a month that they had agreed on, her husband was home alone with the children and absolutely overwhelmed by it. Joey tolerated the fact that she was constantly called by him and thus disturbed at work, mainly because he couldn’t stop laughing while listening to them. How could someone who managed to bring two children into the world be so dependent? Well, if you looked at it that way, fathering the children had certainly not been the difficult part of it.

Laughing again, Joey shook off his head and with it the thoughts. Susi came back to the front of the shop and looked at him curiously. „And you, all well?“

The blond put on his widest grin as he replied, „Sure, y‘know, bad moods are for losers.“ The smile on her lips was more restrained and he could see in her green eyes and by the arms folded in front of her body that she wasn’t fully buying it, as always actually. She had tried once to ask him if there was something behind his grin, but he had talked his way out of it and she hadn’t made another attempt since. It was better that way, he wouldn’t come clean anyway. There would be no point. She would probably soon even stop asking him how he was when all she got was the same lame answer anyway. But it was frightening how well she could see through him, even if he didn’t say anything. And he had never said anything about it before, and it would stay that way.

He heard her sigh, then she tied her long, pitch-black hair into a braid and, without another word, set to work, beginning to place the flowers Joey had pruned into the appropriate bins in the sales room. Joey went to the door and turned the sign from ‚Closed‘ to ‚Open‘, and only a few minutes later, the first customers entered the shop.

As usual at this time of the year, he was very busy all day. He didn’t understand why people, especially men, were already buying flowers for their loved ones now when Valentine’s Day was still a week away. Were they naïve enough to think that they could get away with it even cheaper now? Joey wasn’t stupid, he started raising prices at the beginning of February, just like all the other flower shops on the entire planet. Slightly in the first week and now, they were already at Valentine’s Day level, where he would hold the prices until about a week after. February had always been the best selling month for him so far, closely followed by Christmas. And while he was tying the next customised bouquet, he was mentally going through the tasks for the next few days.

Around 8 pm, he left the shop, exhausted, and closed the door behind him. Susi usually left in the afternoon to pick up the children from school and drive them to their extracurricular activities. Joey was again amazed at how she somehow managed it all so casually. Her everyday life was so dominated by her children that she could hardly have time for herself. Her husband was not really any help either. Did he at least lift a finger around the house, or was it all up to her?

But no matter how busy her day was - she always seemed so incredibly happy, and that somehow made Joey envious. He wasn’t really unhappy in his life, he surely couldn’t say that. Since he had come to New York a little over three years ago after graduating from high school, he had built a decent life for himself. At first, he had scraped by with odd jobs before realising his dream two years ago and opening his own flower shop. It was small and not exactly in a prominent location, but it was his - and he was proud of that. Besides, he now saw his mum and his sister Serenity regularly, and they had been the reason why he had moved to New York in the first place. Well, the fact that he wanted to get as far away from his dad as possible certainly played a role, too. And there were probably few places further away from Japan than New York. Well, there probably were, but that distance was enough for him.

No, he was not unhappy. But he wasn’t particularly happy either. Because he had to leave something behind that was important to him. And if it hadn’t always been so one-sided, maybe he would have....

No. No sooner had he got that thought than he stopped himself. There was no point. There never had been. And yet these absurd ideas kept haunting him, and what was he kidding himself, no matter how far away he might move, that would change absolutely nothing about that fact.

As soon as he took his first step on the pavement, he was hit by icy wind and snowflakes flew around his nose. New York in winter was really cold as hell. Joey just liked summer better, but the sweltering heat that then spread through the city was hardly any better. He looked at his watch and thought about taking the subway, but then decided to go by foot at least a few stations. The next few days were going to be really stressful, with February 14th probably being the most exhausting day of the year. A little walk wouldn’t do him any harm.

So he continued his steps, pulling his scarf even tighter to protect himself from the whipping wind. His watch had also told him that he would have about two hours before he would call. Their monthly ritual was coming up, and he always called on time, always. He had never been even a minute late.

And as he strode through the city streets, lost in thought, the memories caught up with him. The snow crunched under his shoes as he thought about how this all came about again.

It had all started on their last day of school. Joey had known that just one day later, he would be on a plane to the USA and leave his old life behind. The fact that he had managed to graduate from school at all bordered on a miracle. That’s how the teachers who held the ceremony saw it too, and when they handed him his diploma, they couldn’t refrain from commenting. Joey was not at all angry about it, after all, they had been right. For a long time, he had also thought of himself as the failure he might have been back then. But since he had his own shop and everything under control, he had also gained new self-confidence.

His friends were also scattered in all directions. Tristan was the only one of their clique who had stayed in Japan. He had opened a motorbike repair shop, with which he was actually quite successful. Téa had moved to the UK to study English literature, while Yugi flew around the world as a professional duelist.

Well, and then there was Kaiba. You couldn’t really say that they had said goodbye. When he thought about it, they had probably tried, but when they had faced each other, neither of them had said a word. They had just stared at each other for minutes, and even though Joey had opened his mouth again and again to say something, no words had escaped his lips. Joey had simply not known what there was to say, at the same time, he felt he wanted to say so much. It had been a strange idea to stop arguing with him every day, an activity that had been such a natural part of their everyday lives.

And then, it actually only got more confusing when Kaiba had suddenly said, „Give me your phone.“ Joey remembered that he hadn’t moved an inch at that moment, partly because he thought he had misheard, partly because he thought what he had heard was absurd.

Kaiba had grown impatient because Joey still hadn’t made any move to follow his instructions, which was why he had added, „Do as you’re told for once, mutt.“ He had been in a trance when he had given him the phone. He had watched him as he typed something in - and then obviously called himself because he held his own mobile right next to it. When he had done what he had apparently intended to do, he gave Joey his phone back.

And to top it all off, Kaiba had declared, „I’ll call you once a month. I’ll text you the details.“ Then he’d turned and left, and Joey hadn’t been able to assess what to make of it at the time. Or what it meant.

And if he was honest with himself, he still didn’t know today. They always spoke on the phone on the 7th of each month, when it was 10 pm for Joey and 12 pm for Kaiba - although, for the brunet, it was already the 8th, due to the rather large time difference. Joey usually ate dinner then, while Kaiba had a quick lunch. They would then talk about this and that, but mostly they would argue like they used to do in high school. It felt like nothing had changed, and yet everything had. They had been doing this for over three years now, and Joey had never once asked why - because he was afraid of the answer. 

He had only realised that he had developed feelings for the brunet when it was already too late, when he was already in the US and there was no way back. There had been a time, in the very beginning, when he had hoped that they might be reciprocated. But as the years went by, he had to admit that those were false hopes. They had not moved an inch towards each other but had simply continued where they had left off. Maybe by now, they could be called something like friends, even if they still argued more than anything else, but sometimes, though much less often, good conversations did happen. It was, of course, a world of difference from the friendly conversations he had with Yugi, for example. But it was also different to when he spoke with Susi, or with Téa or Tristan. It took on a whole dynamic of its own when he spoke to him, somehow it had always existed.

Joey sighed. He felt like he was going in circles. It wasn’t that he didn’t look forward to the phone calls, but it always hurt a little too. Because he knew there would never be a chance for them. After every phone call, he enthusiastically resolved to finally tick him off - but so far he hadn’t succeeded.

He looked at his phone - damn, it was already ten to ten, he had obviously totally dawdled around, and he was now cold as hell too. The wind had died down, but it was still snowing incessantly. He never walked down a main street when he was on foot because he needed peace and quiet after work, which honking cars and big crowds just couldn’t give him. So he leaned against a house wall and just waited for the remaining time to pass.

When it was one minute to 10 pm, he opened his watch app on his phone and watched the hand move. Ten seconds to go. And then, no sooner had the hand returned to its starting position and a new minute had begun, he called. Joey found it kind of creepy how blatantly punctual Kaiba was every time. As if their clocks were set exactly the same. But it was also something he could always fully rely on - in contrast to the many things in his everyday life where that wasn’t the case. Perhaps it was even the only constant in his life.

As usual, he waited for two rings, took a deep breath and then answered the call.

„Hey, moneybags!“ he spoke into the phone, hoping his bad mood wouldn’t be obvious from his voice. Apparently, that worked as he heard Kaiba answer as usual, „What’s up, mutt?“

Joey closed his eyes for a moment. Hearing his voice always made his heart skip a beat. And at the same time, he felt the bittersweet pain - he wanted to hear his voice, but he also didn’t want to. It was just the same every time. That would probably never change either.

„Sorry, still outside, might be a bit noisy in the background,“ Joey said, hearing Kaiba laugh arrogantly.

„What’s the matter, did you overdo it cutting the flowers?“ Joey had to admonish himself that he was imagining the worried undertone. Pity was an emotion Kaiba was entirely unfamiliar with, and he certainly wouldn’t feel it for him.

„Just dawdled around a bit, to be honest. It really snows extremely here, so if I run too fast I’ll fall on my ass.“

And again Kaiba laughed, and Joey wanted to believe it was a friendly one, but he knew so much better by now. Friendship was alien to Kaiba, the only thing he cared about was his brother Mokuba. And his company. End of the list.

„Stop crying, stray dog. Japan’s a fucking glacier, as if New York could even compete with that.“

Joey laughed out. „Well, then you probably feel right at home, Mr Ice Block.“

He heard Kaiba probably heating something in the microwave in the background. When the beeping didn’t stop, Joey added, annoyed, „Man, Kaiba, can’t you learn to cook properly for once instead of buying that microwave junk all the time? Freaking unbearable.“

In a slightly angry voice, the brunet replied, „Forget it, Wheeler. But hiring a cook might not be the worst idea.“

„Or you could just get yourself a girlfriend to cook for you all the time.“

At that, Kaiba burst out laughing quizzically. „Puppy, can you really picture me with a girlfriend?“

Joey took a deep breath and looked up at the night sky, still leaning back against the wall. The escaping air left damp clouds just under his nose. „Nah, not really.“ Nor with anyone else, not even himself, but that part Joey thought to himself silently.

Then it was quiet for a moment until it sounded like Kaiba was pulling out the appropriate cutlery from some drawers. Then, he heard him speak again.

„What’s the matter, is the mutt depressed?“ Joey could hear his grin right out and felt a lone tear run down his own cheek. 

He had been pretending for over three years now that his monthly chats with Kaiba were enough. Had kept up the facade to even have the chance to talk to him and keep in touch. But he had to realise how futile that was. He was tired, simply exhausted. Pretending had been so draining. Meanwhile, the pain of knowing what he would never have surpassed the pleasure he felt at hearing his voice for even two seconds.

And as he felt more tears make their way to the floor and his cheeks began to glow, he heaved a sigh. What were they actually doing here? It was going nowhere, and this realisation hit him so hard that he felt like someone had punched him right in the stomach and he was about to throw up. It was just so pointless. And he couldn’t take it any more.

„I... I think we should drop this, with the monthly phone calls, Seto.“ Fuck, had he really just called him by his first name? He had always called him that in his mind, but never said it out loud. But he felt powerless. It felt like breaking up, which was ridiculous because they weren’t even together. And that was the problem - because they never would be.

„Joey, what...“ That Kaiba had now also used his first name was unusual, but he had done it before - twice, in fact, and both times had been in the last few months. The difference between today and the last times, however, was that he had probably always done it unintentionally before, and Joey had the feeling that today was the first time he had done it on purpose. Even seemed a little taken aback, breathless even?

Joey was sure he was reading far too much into it. He had been going through this for over three years now and had seen what happened - which was absolutely nothing.

He sighed again and had the feeling that he had not been able to successfully suppress his quiet sobs. But it didn’t matter now anyway because it would be their last phone call. It had to be. It would hurt, yes, and who knew how long it would take him to get over it. But he accepted now that he couldn’t pretend to feel nothing for him anymore. Like he didn’t love him. It needed a hard cut. The only thing he could hope for was that he would be able to recover from it, even if he was aware that it might take years.

So he took another deep breath, then said what he had to say, and as he did, his heart shattered into a thousand shards in front of him on the freezing winter ground. „I never asked you why you called me every month. Not when you typed your number into my phone, back when I was still in Domino, and not once since. And I won’t now. All I know is that I can’t do it anymore. I don’t know what your motivation is, or was, but I know mine and I know I have to give it up. Because it will never be what my head keeps picturing. I know that as sure as the snow is white. So...“

„Puppy, wait!“ Seto’s voice actually sounded a little desperate to his ears, but he was probably imagining that again. He couldn’t hold back the gush of tears now and was sure the brunet could hear it. Why did it hurt so much? Why had he ever met him? Why had he been so stupid as to fall in love with his worst enemy? Why hadn’t Seto just fucking cast him out like a mangy mutt and left him to rot in the gutter?

His voice was little more than a shaky whisper as he told him the last words he would ever hear from him. „Goodbye, Seto.“

„Joey, wai-“ The blond hung up. That was the end of it. All strength drained from his limbs and the phone fell into the snow in front of him, leaving an imprint. He crouched on the ground, already feeling the snow all over his jeans, but he no longer had the energy to stay on his feet. He let out all the pain he had held in for so long, far too long.

He could see the phone screen flicker up as he noticed Seto calling him again. He did not take the call. What would be the point anyway? He had said goodbye, and it was goodbye forever. He would never hear his deep, familiar voice again, let alone be able to look into his beautiful, deep blue eyes that shone like sapphires when touched by the sun. Would never again feel like brushing a strand of hair from his forehead because he would never meet him again.

Seto wouldn’t let up, calling over and over, apparently even leaving voicemails. Joey took a deep breath. If he was going to draw a line, he had to be consistent. His hands were still shaking as he picked up his phone and clicked on his address book. It would be easy to delete the number, but Joey had to make sure - and instead of pressing ‚delete‘, he pressed ‚block‘. That made it official - he had just locked the love of his life out of his own forever.

He had only come home in the middle of the night because he had barely been able to move from the spot. It was only when a passer-by had approached him that he had arrived back in the here and now, in New York, although his mind was still in Domino. Somehow his feet had probably carried him into the subway and then home.

He was glad that the next few days were busy in the shop too, even if he hadn’t missed Susi’s glances. She hadn’t quizzed him yet, but she knew him well enough by now to know that his smile was absolutely fake. He might be able to fool the customers, but Susi knew better.

She also helped out in the shop on Valentine’s Day, even staying much longer than usual. It was a Tuesday, and as expected, it was the most stressful day he had experienced so far this year. They both had so much to do that none of them had the time to clean up properly, so Joey would certainly have to stay longer. But that should only be fine with him. For someone whose love went unrequited, Valentine’s Day was just nerve-wracking. And it hurt, still as much as it had a week ago. Ice-blue eyes still took over his dreams, and when he woke up in a sweat, he couldn’t hold back the tears. He didn’t know how to get through it, questioning everything good that had ever happened to him because he had just banished the best from his life. And he was overcome by the feeling that he had made the biggest mistake in his life.

Still - he could not have gone on like this. He would only have hurt himself. He had to open up the possibility for himself to be happy someday, even without him. Even if that was still unattainably far away at the moment, perhaps he would succeed one day. And if not, he would just die as an old maid.

When he closed the shop at 8 pm, he breathed a sigh of relief. He was exhausted but would be busy for several more hours cleaning up the mess this day had made of his shop. So he went into one of the back rooms and called out to Susi, „Hey, why don’t ya call it a day, I’m sure your kids are waiting for you.“

Susi stuck her head through the door and promptly replied, „Out of the question. I’m not just going to leave you hanging. And it’s quicker with two people anyway. Harry can manage without me for a few hours.“

„And you’re sure ‘bout that?“ asked Joey and could actually feel the hint of a smile on his lips, but as quickly as it came, it was gone. Just then, Susi stepped into the room and grinned with amusement. „He’ll have to. He can take something off me sometime.“

She looked at him with that intense, penetrating gaze he was already used to from her when she was obviously worried about him. She was really bad at hiding it, but she probably wasn’t trying either.

Susi sighed and took another step closer to him. „Look, Joey, I know I don’t have to ask you what’s wrong. Because you’re not going to tell me anyway. And that’s okay. I just want you to know that I’m here if you ever need someone to talk to, okay?“

She put a hand on his back, which was meant to reassure him but didn’t really have any effect. Joey exhaled audibly. „Is it that obvious?“

Out of the corner of his eye, he could perceive her putting her hands on her hips, then she replied, „Honestly, Joey, we’ve been working together almost as long as you own this place. I’ve seen that face you’re making right now on you a lot, but I’d say the last two weeks it’s been especially bad. I don’t know what happened, and maybe it’s none of my business, but looking back over the last two years, and the last two weeks, in particular, I don’t feel like you’re really happy.“

With that, she had hit the nail on the fucking head and Joey was annoyed that he hadn’t been able to disguise his feelings better in front of his co-worker. But what was he kidding himself - Susi was more than an employee. She had become a friend over the years. He had often been invited to their house for dinner, played games with their children and tried over and over again to explain to her husband how to operate a washing machine, but the guy was a lost cause. Susi was talented at seeing behind other people’s facades, but he had let his walls down a bit too.

Joey heaved a sigh. He couldn’t answer that, he didn’t even know what he should have said. And maybe there was just nothing more to say. He had drawn an irrevocable line a week ago and now had to live with the consequences. That was what it meant to be an adult, wasn’t it?

Instead of responding to what she had just said, he turned his back on her and said, „I’ll take care of the rooms back here. Could you clean up the front?“

She didn’t say anything either, but he could hear her catch her breath before she made her way to the sales rooms. It was quiet, too quiet, and Joey couldn’t stand it. So he went over to the radio and turned it on, hoping to find some distraction. Then, he set to work to get out of here as quickly as possible.

About half an hour passed before a song played on the radio that gave him pause. It was as if the artist had written the song just for him.

_It’s that time of the month_  
_When I pick up the phone_  
_To give you a call_  
_Sometimes I would think_  
_It’d be better if you didn’t answer at all_

Had Seto felt the same way? Had he hoped he would not accept the calls? But then why bother calling once a month?

_But you do, so I ask_  
_About Boston and friends_  
_Feels like we’re in Allston at Union again_  
_That time of the month_  
_When I pick up the phone_  
_To give you a call_

Yes, sometimes it really did feel like they were still at Domino High. With their teasing, all the biting remarks and nonsensical arguments. Joey couldn’t help it, he missed him, missed the sound of his voice, but even more, he missed looking him in the eye and standing close to him, even though he knew he would never be able to touch him.

_I wanna be close to you_  
_I know that it’s worth it_  
_But what am I supposed to do_  
_‚Cause it feels like we’re either_  
_Too close or we’re not close enough_

Joey felt the first tears come to his eyes, which he was powerless against. He wanted to be close to him, God, he would do anything to be able to touch him just once, to know what his skin felt like. Was it soft? Rough? Did he have a lot of hair on his arms? How did his fingers feel when they intertwined with his? The certainty that all these questions would remain unanswered for a lifetime now choked his throat.

_I know that we ended it all, said, goodbye_  
_‚Cause I moved away_  
_We pushed away problems_  
_Ignored all our issues_  
_And I went to LA_

_But can we just agree_  
_It was stupid and dumb?_  
_‚Cause when you talk to me_  
_It’s like I’m still the one_  
_I know that we said_  
_That we ended it all_  
_‚Cause I moved away_

The next part of the song didn’t fit 100%, solely due to the fact that they had never been together. It had been over before it had even started, and instead of running through the finish line, Joey now felt like he hadn’t even made it to the starting point. And yet he remembered how special he had always felt when he had talked to him. He had always called him, even if it was a hectic day, even if he was incredibly busy, but for him, he had always made the time. But now, they had said goodbye to each other - and he indeed felt stupid and dumb for letting go of the only thing that had ever meant anything to him. He hadn’t fought for it, and now it was too late.

_Then we hang up_  
_And it feels like a breakup all over again_  
_And I want to tell you_  
_So I write another text I’ll never send_  
_So I get up and go_  
_I move on with my day_  
_It was nice for a second_  
_Like nothing has changed_  
_Then we hang up_  
_And it feels like a breakup all over again_

The last part of the song was actually pretty accurate - it had always felt like nothing had ever changed between them. And that’s where the problem laid. Joey wanted it, wanted so much for them to take a step forward, but he knew Seto would never feel that way about him, not for a lousy stray dog like him.

He had wanted to write to him so many times after their phone calls, just to keep the conversation going, but he just never had the heart to because he was afraid it would make him cringe and then they wouldn’t have any contact at all anymore. And whenever they hung up, it was the worst feeling for him. He missed him immediately, being very aware that Seto had probably forgotten him the second he pressed the red handset. But Joey didn’t feel that way, he wanted him and yet he knew he would be forever out of reach.

He heard Susi’s footsteps behind him and didn’t turn to face her, standing with his back to her as she entered the room. He felt ashamed for crying so unrestrainedly, but he couldn’t stop it. He had never felt anything like this before. Every fibre of his heart was crying out for him, and he couldn’t imagine that one day, this pain would no longer be part of his life. He loved him, he always would, because there would be no one else who could rival him.

Yet he didn’t even know why he loved him. When they were still in high school, he had thrown insults at him, pushed him away more than pulled him towards him, and had made it very clear how much he despised him. But Joey couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t the real Seto Kaiba at all. He had once overheard him talking to his brother Mokuba on the phone, and there he could see him, the soft core behind the hard shell. He didn’t know if Seto had even noticed him, but it didn’t matter because now he had seen him for what he really was. And in the months that followed, before they went their separate ways in different countries, at some point, he felt that he knew, that Joey could see behind his mask. That he saw him. And that he accepted and respected him for who he was, and he was perhaps the only person in the world who wouldn’t change him. Because no matter how much they had resented each other, he didn’t want Seto to become someone else because he was good the way he was.

„Hey, Joey, I...“ he heard Susi talking behind him, but he interrupted her immediately. „Susi, go home. You have someone waiting for you. Get your kids to bed and have a nice evening with Harry.“

„No, it’s okay, I...“

„Susi, please, go. I can handle this on my own. Really.“ His last words were little more than a whisper. His whole body ached and he felt like he couldn’t breathe. She must have sensed his sobbing quite clearly, but there was simply nothing he could do about it.

He heard her walking towards him in quick steps. When she stood next to him and saw him wallowing miserably in his self-pity, her voice suddenly became serious, almost a little angry. „Joey, now listen to me. I don’t know what’s wrong with you, but it can’t go on like this.“

„Maybe I can help.“

What... no, he must have imagined it. Now, he was obviously going completely nuts if he was already hallucinating. There was no way he could be here. What was he thinking, this was ridiculous, nothing more than....

„Ah, yeah, I just saw that guy hanging around outside your shop. Honestly, he’s a real creep. Says he knows you, but that can’t be right, can it?“

He hadn’t imagined it? Cautiously, he lifted his head, and as if in slow motion, he turned around - and when he saw him, his eyes widened, still releasing a stream of tears.

He couldn’t say anything at first. There he was, leaning sideways against the door frame, his arms folded in front of his body. Joey felt Seto’s aura immediately fill the entire room. He looked outrageously good, even much better than he remembered him. He had been working out, you could tell immediately by the way his upper arms and leg muscles pressed against his clothes. His hair was still as glossy brown as the last time he had met him at the graduation ceremony. And his eyes were so intensely blue that he couldn’t avert his gaze.

„Se... Kaiba?“ asked Joey, unable to hide how shocked he was.

„Shit, you guys actually know each other? I had a feeling that guy was trying to fuck with me.“ Susi looked back and forth between the two of them, and when neither said anything, she obviously realised she had no business being here.

„Okay, Joey, I’m off then. Harry’s already sent me twenty messages because Kelly doesn’t wanna go to bed again. So... See ya tomorrow.“

„Yeah, see ya tomorrow,“ Joey said monotonously but didn’t look at her as she left because his gaze was still on Seto.

Even minutes after Susi had disappeared, neither of them had moved. But eventually, after what seemed like hours to Joey, Seto heaved a sigh, pushed himself off the doorframe and came towards him with determined steps.

„Don’t you think we’re past that by now?“

„What... What do you mean?“

By now, Seto was standing right next to him, but his arms were still folded in front of his body. „I mean this whole Wheeler-Kaiba thing. The last time we spoke, you called me Seto.“

At the painful memory, Joey had to brace himself on the table in front of him and finally managed to avert his eyes from the brunet so he wouldn’t see his cheeks turn red.

„What are you doing here?“ asked Joey, deliberately avoiding mentioning any of his names.

„What do you think I’m doing here?“

Annoyed, Joey rolled his eyes, even if Seto couldn’t see it. „How would I know? After all, I wouldn’t ask if that was the case. Any business in the area?“

He heard Seto laugh out loud, as he often had over the phone, but hearing it live now, for the first time in years, felt so much more intense and only made him more painfully aware of how much he wanted him.

Seto propped himself up on the table with one hand and leaned over to Joey a little, though still keeping a clear distance from him. „No, that’s not why I’m here. Even though I more or less combine it with it, but that’s not why I flew to New York in the first place.“

Now Joey took a risk and looked up, looked into his eyes, which he had probably never seen from such a short distance. The way the blue moved in his eyes, that was how he imagined the ocean. Deep and dark, mysterious and stormy. It was so beautiful and at the same time it hurt so much that Joey couldn’t stop tears from flowing down his cheeks again. It was hard to breathe and he had to take his eyes off him again as he squeezed his eyes shut and squeezed out the tears that then dripped mercilessly onto his hands.

„You blocked my number. Why?“

Was that why he was here? Offended pride because there was one person on this goddamn earth he could now no longer bug with his calls?

„What do you care?“ Joey answered in a low voice, behind gritted teeth.

Seto was silent for a second, but then he resumed. „You said you never asked me why I call you every month. Do you wanna know?“

Joey felt himself start to shake. Why was he torturing him like this? Was it all just a game to him? Did he enjoy seeing him suffer like this?

„I... I can’t,“ he replied in a choked voice. Suddenly, he heard Seto exhale impatiently before he grabbed his arm and said, „Look at me, Joey.“ He pulled him so that he had to look at him, and if he didn’t know better, he would think that his features had softened somehow. But could that be? After all, he was Seto Kaiba, the man with the heart of ice - wasn’t he?

Seto stared at him for a while, then began to speak again, and Joey could see exactly how much of a struggle it was for the taller man. „I don’t talk about my feelings. I never have. I’m sure most people would think I don’t have any. But that’s wrong, I absolutely have them. I just don’t express them. Because I don’t know how.“

He eased off Joey’s arm, and the blond could do no more than listen to him. He turned to face him so that they were now right across from each other. He just, unfortunately, still didn’t understand what Seto was actually trying to tell him, and probably the confusion was clearly written on his face because the brunet once again forced himself to tell more.

„Joey, I’ve thought more than once in the last three years about just kidnapping you and taking you back to Domino. But I know you’ve made a life here. You’ve told me about your shop, how proud you are that you’ve done it yourself, without help, and you should be damn proud of that too, let me tell you that. You mentioned how nice it is to finally be away from your dad and closer to your mum and sister. So how could I have done that when you’re obviously so comfortable here?“

What was he talking about? He had wanted to bring him back? Why?

„Seto, what...“ Joey just didn’t know what any of this meant. What he could say now, or what Seto wanted him to say. He was well aware that he had just called him by his first name again, but he was using his, so he wanted to repay like with like.

The brunet groaned, then put a hand on Joey’s cheek, and the touch burned instantly on his skin.

„You’re really slow on the uptake, puppy. I came here for you, you idiot. I realised after our last phone call that you obviously feel the same as I do. I may not be big on emotions in general, but I’m not blind, and I’m not, contrary to popular belief, a block of ice without feelings and needs of my own. I just never learned how to deal with them, and I certainly never had to confess them to anyone.“

Co...confess? What was he confessing here? Joey was drawing a blank. He said he felt like him, but that... He couldn’t possibly believe him.

When Joey still made no effort to respond, Seto frowned and massaged the root of his nose before continuing.

„Okay, I can see I need to be more explicit. You’re really not making this easy, Joey.“

He took a deep breath, then looked him intensely in the eyes again and took Joey’s hands in his. „I’ve decided that if you can’t come to me, then I’ll come to you. Mokuba has two years left until he graduates, and I signed the lease for an office in New York earlier today. I will have to fly to Japan regularly for the next two years to train Mokuba so that he can take over the business there in two years, but I can be here. It won’t be easy, but it’s only temporary. And then I’ll...“

„Okay, shut up for a second, please.“ Joey was overcome with emotion. He had done this to be here with him? This... what... maybe... maybe... he actually did feel the same as him?

He lifted his gaze again and saw Seto’s eyes had softened even more, a shade brighter than usual. „What does all this mean, Seto? I mean... aren’t ya getting a little ahead of yourself with all this?“

Without even batting an eyelid, Seto shook his head. „No, Joey. We’ve wasted three years of our lives. I’m not gonna wait three more.“

All the air escaped Joey’s lungs and he had to brace himself on the table again to keep from falling over. His breathing was rapid and his eyes were wide open. He couldn’t think straight, he was struggling to keep up with what Seto was telling him. And suddenly, he had the feeling that what he had told him was actually true.

He looked back at him, still breathless, before quietly asking the question that had been haunting him for the past three years. „You love me?“

Seto grinned, at first with a hint of arrogance, but soon after, that gave way to an expression so loving and tender that Joey almost didn’t recognise him anymore. He had never seen such an expression on him before - had he? But then, very slowly, in mini-steps, the memory came back. It was the same expression he’d had when he’d said goodbye to him, after high school. Joey had dismissed it then as something that had probably only happened in his imagination, precisely because it had also only been a fleeting expression, but seeing him here now, close up in front of him, he suddenly realised that it hadn’t just been imagination.

Seto reached out a hand and caressed his cheek, which immediately began to tingle under his touch. „Do you finally get it now?“ he whispered without his facial expression changing. And that was when Joey realised it abruptly: Seto loved him, and he loved Seto.

„Since high school?“

„Since high school.“

Joey’s breath caught in his throat. He felt like him. He loved him. Everything he had hoped for so much over the last few years came true at that moment, and he couldn’t hide the tears of joy at that.

And then, he pulled Seto into a tight hug, finally letting his tears and sobs run free. He could sense that Seto was moderately overwhelmed with the situation at first, but then he too wrapped his arms around him and gave him a gentle kiss on his hair while Joey tried with all his might to calm down.

At some point, Joey released the embrace but kept his hands on Seto’s waist. He looked up at him and immediately felt a warm hand on his cheek again, and Seto’s thumb gently brushed away his tears.

Joey’s heart was in his mouth as he very slowly brought his face closer to Seto’s. He too leaned down to him, and when their lips touched lightly, it set off an explosion in Joey that radiated throughout his body. After a very brief, gentle touch, their lips parted again for a split second, as if to make sure the other wanted it the same way. But Joey could see the desire in Seto’s eyes, and he felt it too, just as intensely as the brunet. And when Joey pressed his mouth to Seto’s again, all the feelings intensified even more, and he wrapped both arms around Seto’s body to pull him even closer, to feel him even more. All his life, he had waited for this moment and at last, he had already given up hope, and now here he was, the love of his life, kissing him as if there was no tomorrow.

At the same time, their lips opened a crack and their tongues touched. Hesitantly at first, but the more seconds passed, the more they danced around each other, caressing each other. Joey could still detect the taste of green tea in his mouth, which he had drunk all the time at school, and this sweet memory triggered pleasant goose bumps all over his body. He had always imagined how he would taste, how he would feel, but _never_ could he have imagined how good he would feel. His lips were warm and soft, his hands on his cheeks strong and powerful and yet so tender at the same time. Seto was right, they had wasted so much time because they had failed to communicate openly and honestly with each other. And Joey resolved not to make that mistake a second time. Now that he finally had him so right in his life, he would not let him go, of that he was sure.

With rosy cheeks, they parted from each other again after a while, and when Seto smiled at him, the sun came up for him, even though it had long been pitch dark outside. He had never wished for more than this, and even if it seemed a bit like one of his nightly dreams, it was reality. And that was just so wonderful.

Seto rested his forehead against Joey’s but did not take his hand from his cheek. They were still both breathing fast and Joey needed another moment to regain his strength. But then, he gathered all his energy and said, „I... still can’t believe it. That you’re here and... that you... feel as I do. This... is this really real, Seto?“

Grinning, Seto took his hand from Joey’s cheek - and pinched him hard on the arm. „Ow!“ the blond cried, stroking the sore spot, and Seto laughed, so heartily that it suffused Joey’s whole body with an unprecedented warmth.

Then, he grinned at him again and asked, „So, how real did that feel to you?“

Still rubbing over the spot on his arm, Joey now couldn’t help but return the smile. „Pretty damn real.“

And there Seto was already pulling him into the next kiss, and Joey knew he would never get enough of him.

When Seto pulled away from him, he kept his face so close to Joey’s that the tips of their noses could almost still touch. „The last time we spoke on the phone, you said you couldn’t take it anymore - and neither can I. I’m at my limit, and I’m not gonna let you go anymore, or I’ll follow you wherever you go. Because... I love you, Joey.“

Joey could feel the return of hot tears all over his cheeks as he replied, „And I love you, Seto, since high school. How stupid we have been these past few years. You’re right, we wasted so much time, and now we have so much to make up for.“

The blond saw Seto nod, still smiling gently. „We do, and if it takes a lifetime to do so, then so be it. I’m looking forward to it. You’re mine, puppy, and you won’t escape me again, got it?“

„Yes,“ was all Joey could whisper before he kissed Seto again, and then again, and again, and again. He was finally where he always wanted to be, and it made him happier than words could describe. Today was the day of his new beginning as if he had been born anew, and he would want to spend every single second with the man who had already so enchanted him with his ice-blue eyes back in school.


End file.
